Ardoyne Twelfth Orange parade ruling to be challenged
A loyalist parades group is to mount a legal challenge against a decision by the parades commission about the contentious Twelfth of July march in north Belfast.
The Orange Order has described a ruling that the parade must clear the Ardoyne shops by 16:00BST as foolish.
The North and West Belfast Parades Forum says it will mount a legal bid to have the ruling overturned.
It says the deadline is impossible to meet.
“The forum is working with others to put together an application before the courts to have a judicial review heard on this outrageous decision,” said Winston Irvine.
“We’re in the process of hearing the outcome of that and we will continue to vigorously challenge this in whatever way we see fit to do so.
‘”I think they’ve set the Orange Order an impossible task and you can’t ask people to the impossible.
“They’ve (parades commission) set the bar so high here and they are trying to set the Orange (order) up for failure.”
The Orange Order said the deadline would not give them enough time to take part in festivities in the south of the city.
On Monday about 100 loyalists protested in north Belfast against the commission’s decision.
For years, rioting has broken out after the parade.
The Protestant organisation holds its main Belfast demonstration, which commemorates King William III’s 1690 Battle of the Boyne victory over Catholic King James II, at Barnett’s Demesne, five miles away from Ardoyne.
In previous years, the parade has passed through the area on its return from the field at about 19:00 BST.
